The father of a Muslim U.S. soldier who died during the Iraq War delivered one of the most emotional speeches at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, July 28. Khizr Khan’s son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad in 2004 at age 27.
Khan urged people to vote for Hillary Clinton and slammed Donald Trump for his remarks about banning Muslim immigration to America, even going so far as to question whether the Republican presidential nominee has looked at the Constitution.
“If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America,” Khizr said of his late son. “Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future.”
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“Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution?” he continued, pulling out a pocket-sized version of the document. “I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words, look for the words, liberty and equal protection [under] law.”
He also told Trump to visit Arlington National Cemetery and take a look at all the people who have lost their lives for this country. “Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America — you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities,” he said. “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
Khizr was born in Pakistan but was living in the United Arab Emirates when he moved his family to Boston in 1980 to study law at Harvard University, CNN reports. His son attended the University of Virginia, where he was part of the ROTC program.
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According to CNN, during his Iraq tour in 2004, Humayun was inspecting the front gates of his camp when a car sped toward the group and he ordered his fellow soldiers to hit the ground. He was approaching the car and signaling for it to stop when it exploded. Humayun saved many lives by ordering the other soldiers to stay back and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, The New York Times reports.
Clinton’s running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, praised the speech as one of the best throughout the four-day convention. “That was probably one of the most moving events of the entire four days, when he talked about his son. I got a boy in the Marines, so I hear somebody who sacrificed a child in military service. It really grabs you,” he told CNN. “That was just an absolutely electric moment in the building, and I suspect it was electric for everyone watching it on television.”